The link between confidence, competence and success for a leader

Kym Williams// Consultant

I was running a session in New Zealand for a client recently on how to improve your personal effectiveness and self awareness. A topic dear to my heart with both subjects being areas of lifelong learning for me.

In the session, we spent a lot of time discussing true effectiveness and how to achieve it as a leader. We also discussed how effectiveness was something that we can assess ourselves but this also needed to be balanced with what our team needs from us, sees and also values.

The model or concept we discussed which centred around achieving success as a leader was the following:

“Confidence leads to competence which will produce success as a leader”

To break these elements down in terms of explanation:

Confidence as a leader I believe comes down to two key things staff expect of their leaders which is preparation and intentional focus. Preparation is demonstrated through good planning, preparation for one on ones, meetings and other interactions with the team. Intentional focus is about the ability of the leader to provide direction, priorities and focus for the team on a regular basis.

Competence is how we demonstrate constructive behaviours, actions and outcomes on a consistent basis. How we lead by example, be decisive and role model the right behaviours. Being competent and consistent as a leader is a positive which resonates with the team.

Success as a leader is the achieved by how we serve others, provide leadership and gain satisfaction from the people we develop and the outcomes we achieve. Success is also about but not limited to balancing people v task, providing direction v harnessing empowerment, building relationships v achieving tasks, and developing people v holding them accountable.

Confidence as a leader is all about preparation, learning from past experiences and open to growth and improvement. Harness this through proactive preparation and focus and watch your competence increase as a leader. True success is the outcome from the other two elements that come before it.

The challenge for all is to know that the only time success comes before work is in the dictionary. The preparation you put in through good planning, intentional focus as well as prioritisation and direction allows your team not only to thrive but you spend the time on what really matters to both you and the team

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About the Author

Kym Williams

"Working with a values aligned client to create the right environment for success is an enormous privilege you have as an advisor to organisations or projects. The ability to deliver outstanding outcomes for our clients through working together is what I am passionate about in ensuring we do everything we can to improve their people, bids, projects and organisations.”